How I Met My Angel
by uhmchelsea
Summary: Clary Fray is the new girl at Idris High School of Art. Her dream is to become a famous artist like her mother. What happens when she meets a fallen angel that invades her dreams? AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: These are unnecessary because you are posting your story on FANfiction. Of course you don't own it. Disclaimers only taunt the author for not owning the characters. Anyways, enjoy!_

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"Clary! Clary! Wake up! I have our admission letters for Idris!" Simon screamed next to my bed. I bolted up and found myself fully awake. Simon waved an unopened envelope in front of me. I snatched it from his hand and ripped through the paper. He tore through his own envelope and we exchanged glances before reading. My heart was pounding as I slowly unfolded the paper and braced myself for whatever is inside it.

_Congratulations, Clary Fray! You have been accepted to attend Idris High School of the Arts. Considering your impressive art portfolio, we are glad to have you join our school. Our school will be very different from your old school so be prepared for a change. May we remind you that our program is strictly centered in the arts and that we will make you work your hardest to bring out your full potential. We look forward to seeing you._

_Celine Herondale, IHSA principal_

I squealed loudly after I finished reading followed by an equally loud squeal from Simon. I attempted but failed to raise one eyebrow and gave him a funny look. We broke out in laughter and ended up clutching our stomachs gasping for air. We eventually gained control over ourselves and I was able to notice what Simon was wearing.

"Simon, what are you wearing? Please tell me you didn't go out in that," I gestured at his My Little Pony boxers and 'May the force be with you' shirt.

"Oops, I forgot. Can you blame me? These letters are important to both of us," he crossed his arms across his chest. "Not like anyone saw anyways," he grumbled. I rolled my eyes at his excuse.

"Whatever you say. Come on, put something less embarrassing on and then we can go tell Mom and Dad. They'll be so happy for us!" I was practically shining. He nodded and stalked back to his room. I skipped over to the bathroom where I tried to tame my messy bedhead hair. I brushed until it looked decent and brushed away my morning breath. Yeah, I wasn't really a morning person but when something like this happens, of course you'd be happy too. I met Simon and my parents at the kitchen where breakfast was prepared.

"Good morning, Sunshine! How was your morning?" Jocelyn asked. She was sipping a cup of coffee next to Luke who had put aside the morning newspaper.

"Mom, Dad, we have some really good news," I said. I sat at the table across from them and next to Simon.

"Good! We have some quite exciting news for you two, too. Go ahead and tell us yours first," Luke smiled at us and gave us his attention.

"We got accepted into Idris!" we said simultaneously.

"Congratulations, guys! We saw this coming. Who would not accept you into that school? That letter came fairly late though, don't you think?" Luke said. I gave him my acceptance letter and let him go over it.

"Yeah, it did. I almost lost hope when it didn't come. Oh well. Better late than never, right?" Simon said. He piled his plate high with pancakes, bacon, and eggs and devoured the pile hungrily.

"Yep. So, what did you guys want to tell us?" I asked while making some tea and grabbing a bagel. I took some cream cheese and spread generous amounts on the bagel.

"This is kind of a late notice also, but your father and I are going away for a week to Los Angeles for an art show. I'm going to showcase my art there where hundreds of people will be able to see them," my mom mimicked my beamed expression. We looked almost like twins but she was a tall, beautiful and had curves in all the right places. I was short and yet to grow into my skin. I would say I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't gorgeous either. My long curly hair dropped in ringlets just over my chest and light freckles were dusted all over my cheeks. I had emerald green eyes like my mother and my hair was a deep shade of red. Not that usual pumpkin like orange that usual gingers had, so I felt blessed with my hair. We both shared a strong passion for art and her talent has rubbed off on me.

"That's really great! I'm so happy for you. Can I come with you guys, please? I'm dying to come to a big art show like that!" I begged them with puppy dog eyes and pouty lips.

"Sorry, honey. You have to stay here and help Simon watch out for my bookstore down the street. He can't stay here all by himself," Luke said. I grunted and crossed my arms. A scowl was placed conspicuously on my face, but softened as my mind reasoned with me. I couldn't leave behind Simon and the bookstore needed someone to watch it.

"Okay, I'll stay. When are you guys taking off?" I asked.

"We're leaving Friday, which is tomorrow. Can we trust you guys to survive without us? We'll leave you enough money for the week which is strictly for food. Okay, maybe you can spend some of it, but spend it wisely. There are leftovers in the fridge and call us every night to check if everything is going alright." Jocelyn rumbled on.

"Yeah, yeah, we know how what to do. If we run out of supplies, we'll just have to hunt for food outside, right Clary?" Simon joked.

I chuckled and said, "Sure. But I doubt you'll be able to catch anything. Those squirrels are way too fast for you," I teased.

"Haha, okay. We're going to go pack now. Finish your breakfast and don't forget to clean up. We're leaving early tomorrow," Luke said. He and Jocelyn put their dishes away and went back to their room.

"For the bookstore, I'll do three days and you do the other three days. The last day, we'll split in half," I declared. Simon and I have looked over the shop before when our parents were gone.

"Sounds fair. By the way, Isabelle and I are going to hang out here tomorrow so you're going to have to take over. Can you handle it?"

"Of course! If anything bad happens, the pepper spray and bat are under the counter," I washed the dishes while Simon dried them.

"Good. Let's play some Call of Duty. I want to celebrate." I followed him into his room and helped him set up. We played online for hours. I won almost every game. Ever since Simon came home with a Playstation and a bunch of video games, we always played competitively.

When I was four years old, my mom and dad told me that they were going to pick up my new brother from the foster home. At first, I didn't like him because I thought he was going to steal all the attention from my parents, but we liked a lot of the same stuff and became best friends. We started school and did everything together. He watched my back while I watched his. It was usually me watching his cause I was always able to handle myself against the bigger kids.

"Ha-HA! That's my tenth winning streak. Damn, these guys are too easy," I grinned triumphantly at the screen. Simon pretend smashed his controller on the ground.

"Jeez, it's like you were born to shoot people's heads. Good thing it's _just _video games or else I would've been killed multiple times." I grin devilishly at the thought.

"This is what video games do to kids, to teach them various ways to kill with a gun. I better go to bed now. We have to drop off Mom and Dad at the airport and then I have to go back to the bookstore," I turned off the game consul, "Anyways, you said that Isabelle was coming over, right?" I smirked at him and he immediately turned red.

"Uh, er, yes," he muttered. His hand rubbed the back of his head while he shyly stared at the ground.

"Oooh, what are you guys going to do?" I asked nonchalantly while absentmindedly checked my nails.

"None of your business, thank you very much. We're just gonna eat lunch, walk outside in the park and maybe watch a small movie."

"How romantic! Are you going to buy her roses and chocolates? Cuddle on the sofa while you 'watch' the movie?" I said with air quotes. A teasingly angelic smile placed on my face.

"Whatever! Go back to your room. We need to wake up nice and early tomorrow morning. Good night, dear sister!" And with that I exited the room with the door shut tightly behind me. I chuckled to myself at the thought of Simon and Isabelle. Simon was a bit nerdy and shy and Isabelle was pretty much the exact opposite of that. She was as tall as Simon, which was about 5'10'', had long straight hair that was almost jet black, and piercing blue eyes. She was confident, stylish, and nice if she liked you. But, if you got on the wrong side of her, she can be extremely bitchy and get her way. She was a junior like me and Simon and attended Idris. Overall, I liked her. She and Simon apparently met in the bookstore and clicked like magnets.

I looked at my clock that read twelve thirty. I yawned and instantly fell asleep when my face hit the pillow.

I don't usually get dreams when I sleep, but when I do, they are usually meaningless and feel like a drunken night. Blurry and out of control. I remember it happened, but the details were never there. This one was definitely different.

It was exceptionally sunny outside and I was walking in the park. I was relishing the feeling of the grass between my toes. I closed my eyes as a small breeze blew at my hair, making me feel heavenly. Scratch that, more like cliché. I opened my eyes in annoyance but they fell onto a figure a few yards in front of me.

At first, I thought it was a huge bird with gigantic white wings. That's odd. It was until it rolled over that I noticed it was actually an angel. It lay there with as much gracefulness as a fallen angel could have. My face contorted into one of confusion and pity as I looked at it once over. He was wearing ripped black jeans with large gashes spanning across his thighs and calves. He didn't wear a shirt so I was able to get a good view of the collection of scars all over his toned chest and stomach. He had bruises and scratches on his arms and face but they didn't look half as bad as his wings. I just noticed they there were red splotches in several different places and they were very limp.

He was a fallen angel, and I was there to save him. I walked forward to his unmoving body but just as I was about to reach him, he disappeared into thin air. The scene around me started to disappear, too. Soon enough, I was encased in black cold nothingness.

* * *

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_

_You shine it when I'm alone_

_And so I tell myself that I'll be strong_

_And dreaming when they're gone_

The radio blasts music into my ears. Six thirty. I turn it off and lazily get out of bed. I head over for a quick shower. I didn't bother to dry my hair cause it looked like it was about to pour outside. I pulled on a thick hoodie sweater over my tank top and a pair of dark wash jeans. After slipping into a pair of ankle boots, I grabbed a quick coffee from the kitchen, my tote bag, and went to the car with my parents who had just finished stuffing the luggage in the trunk. Simon lazily sauntered over to the seat next to me and went back to dozing off. I just stared out the window and watched the rain clouds forming in the sky.

I thought about the dream I had last night. It felt so real and detailed. My fingers itched to draw him, but not right now cause I just feel like going back to sleep. If I go back to sleep, I might be able to see him again and really look at his face. I remember a halo of golden blonde hair that curled messily at the edge of his ear and at the end of his neck. Even though it was tousled and uncombed, it made him look even more attractive. I'll make sure to keep that noted when I draw him.

I closed my eyes for the remainder of the ride until Jocelyn woke me and Simon up.

"Okay, kiddos. We're leaving now. Remember to take care of the bookstore, spend the money wisely, and stay out of trouble. Call every night and whenever something comes up." Luke said as he took out their luggage.

"Yes, yes, we remember. We'll be fine. Have fun in L.A. Have a safe flight!" I said. We all hugged and kissed goodbye and parted ways. Simon and I waved one more time before driving out of the drop off station.

We held a light conversation on our way to the bookstore. By now, it was around eight o'clock and as I predicted, rain was pouring buckets outside.

"'Kay, bye Sis. See you later. Stay safe," Simon said. I pecked him on the cheek before saying goodbye. I sprinted into the shop to avoid getting soaked. It didn't work. The whole top of my jacket was drenched but I managed to keep my hair from getting wet.

I dropped my bag behind the checkout counter and then went to turn the heater up. My jacket was pretty much useless considering it was soaked with water so I decided to hang it up. There were a few boxes next to the counter that were filled with fresh new books. I put my headphones around my neck and turned my ipod on shuffle. I swayed to the music as I organized and restocked the shelves with new books. I could imagine why no one was coming in since it was still raining rather harshly outside. Thank God for inventing indoor heaters.

After about two hours, I finished going through all the new arrivals. I walked around the tiny shop to check that everything was good and in its place. Then, I went back around to micro check everything so that all the books were perfectly straight and that the dust was swept away from the shelves. After I was satisfied with my cleaning, I sat on the stool behind the counter and took out my sketchpad to draw the fallen angel from the dream. He kneeled on the grass in a fetal position. His back leaned forward with the support of his elbows and his hair covered his face. One beaten up wing sprouted from his back and hung limply by his side. It was a rather depressing picture overall.

I yawned and checked the time on my phone. It was around noon so I awarded myself with a lunch break. Well, I actually texted Simon and told him to bring me some of Taki's coconut pancakes. He arrived twenty minutes later with a takeout box and Isabelle. I smiled at them, removed my headphones from my neck and started to dig into the pancakes. An audible moan escaped my pancake filled mouth.

"Nice to see you again, Clare." Simon said with a grimace. I swallowed down the food and smiled.

"Thank you! Hi Isabelle," I said taking slower and smaller bites.

She giggled and said, "Hey! How's it going with the bookstore? Everything's alright, I hope." She dug into her own pile of pancakes while sitting on the counter beside Simon who held a breakfast burrito.

"It's been pretty decent. I got to do some cleaning and organizing around the place. No one came by today at all. Probably because of the shitty weather," I said.

"I know right. New York just decided to rain during the summer. Did you know it's been raining non-stop since I dropped you off? How much water do those clouds hold anyway?" Simon complained.

"I hope the weather clears up. It's messing up my makeup and hair. By the way, Clary, do you want to go out shopping with me when the clouds decide they don't feel like raining?" Isabelle looked at me expectantly. I haven't gone shopping in a while and Mom _did_ leave the money for us. It probably won't hurt to spend some of it.

"Sure! I'd love to. But Simon won't be able to come since one of us has to stay and watch the shop." I said as I finished my lunch.

"That's fine. I've been meaning to spend some girl time. It's hard to live life surrounded by boys," she sipped her coffee gathered the trash from our takeout, "I have three other brothers back at home. Two of them go to Idris, too and we have a little one that's younger than all of us. It's amazing how I even remember that I'm a girl sometimes."

"Those are a lot of boys. I don't understand how you can live with three when I can barely live with one," I teased. Simon elbowed me lightly and I pretended to feel hurt. In reality, he can barely hurt a fly without hurting himself first.

"Well, we gotta run. You sure you can handle for the rest of the day?" Simon asked. He took our garbage in a plastic bag and tied the loops at the end.

"Yes. No one's probably going to come in anyways. I'll just have a bunch of free time here," I said.

"Clary, can you get dropped off at our apartment maybe Monday? It's better to shop when there's less people there and we still have a week of summer break," Isabelle gave me a hopeful smile.

"Sure. I'll be there," I returned the smile, "See you guys later." They both said their good byes and exited the shop.

I felt full and satisfied now that my stomach wasn't constantly growling at me. I decided to color the drawing I had been working on earlier. I put on my headphones so that they cupped my ears and blocked out the sound of rain pounding on the window with the Beatles singing soft tunes. I leaned back so that my back hit the wall and continue coloring.

_I'm so tired, I don't know what to do_

_I'm so tired, my mind is set on you_

_I wonder, should I call you? But I know what you would do._

My eye lids grew droopy from the soothing and slow tune. Damn, this song is powerful. Maybe I'll just close my eyes for a while. And just like that, unconsciousness takes over me.

I appeared in a similar grassy place where I first encountered _him._ I immediately recognized the place and got really excited. Maybe I'll see him again. And just like I wished, I turned my head and there he was, standing a distance away just enough to let me see his whole body. His marks and scars were all gone, leaving a radiant healthy man standing before me. I noticed how defined his muscles were on his chest, stomach and arms. Oh how I wanted to run my hands across them. I know what you're thinking, and I don't care. He's a figment of my imagination so I can think whatever the hell I want to. He's an angel so what can I say? Any trace of the fallen angel I had seen just last night had disappeared. I finally glanced up at his face.

The first things I notice are those eyes. They were a special shade of gold and reminded me of sweet honey. He had an angular jaw, high cheek bones, and just plain out perfectly proportionate features. An artist's dream, _literally._ I caught his steady stare and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw one side of his lips turn up. _He was smirking. _Just before I could react I was nudged out of my fantasy land.

"Excuse me, Miss? Hello? Wake up please," I bolted up from my leaning position earlier and came crashing forward onto the counter, making my headphones fall off my head. I gasped in surprise and I tried to catch myself before I flip over again, but a pair of hands beat me to it. I look up with shock written all over my face to meet a pair of golden, honey like eyes just mere inches from my own. _The angel…_

"Good, you're awake. I was hoping you'd help me find my book. If you'd show me the music section… Hello?" He snapped his fingers right in front of my face which brought me back to reality. I swatted his hand away and put on a fierce scowl.

"Excuse me, but it's quite rude to snap at people's faces." I sneer. He smirks. Of course.

"Actually, it's quite rude to ignore your customers. I have my reasons." I want to slap that grin off his face, but resist at the last moment. After all, he is a customer. _Wait._ A customer? I looked outside. The sun was just about to set and the skies were clear except for a few clouds.

"What are you doing here?" This made him chuckle. God, I hate it when people laugh at me.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to buy a book. Like I said earlier, I'm pretty sure it's in the music section," he says matter-of-factly, "Would you like to show me?" He says suddenly getting all seductive and gives my body a once over. I immediately become aware of my outfit and become heated in the face area. I cross my arms across my chest warily.

"My sweater was drenched earlier so it would have been stupid to wear it around," he chuckled and mumbled something along the lines of 'Whatever you say'. "Anyway, here's all the music related books in the store. Try not to get lost," I say with my very own smirk. He just grinned and looked through stacks and shelves. I went back to the counter and grabbed my sketchpad to keep me occupied while he looked through.

I couldn't help but watch as he walked around the section of the store letting me look at him at all angles. At times, he would have this determined look on his face as he searched. His eyebrows would come together slightly and his lips formed a small pout. He caught me looking and smirked, _again. _Goddamn, how many times a day does he do that? Instead of blushing and looking away, I gave him a lop-sided grin and returned my attention back to my sketchpad.

"Hey, these are good paintings," he interrupted my 'zone' while admiring the works of art hung on the walls. Jocelyn thought of decorating the place with her paintings and Luke was more than happy to oblige. "Who made them?" the guy asked.

"Me and my mom. Some are hers, some are mine and this one," I pointed at the largest painting hung beside the wall I sat next to, "was done by both of us."

I smiled at the memory. She drew the outline of four people; a man, a woman, a girl, and a boy. They were in front of a shop called Luke's bookstore. We colored it together with a bunch of pastels, paints, and colored pencils. A lot of mixed media put into one magnificent painting. It was the first we had done together and we finished it just under a year ago.

"Wow, that's amazing. You're a really great artist. Where's your mother?" he asked. He had a sympathetic expression on his face. It made me want to come over and give him a hug just to make him feel better.

I giggled a little to try to ease the mood, "She and my dad went to California for a week so my brother and I are taking over the shop until they come back," I said with a smile. His expression visibly softened and was masked with a playful smile.

"Well, aren't you two lonely then. Here are my books," I took his items and scanned them. Let's see, my sneaky mind said. He bought a song book for piano and voice. So, he's a musician? His choices were pretty impressive.

"Your total is fifteen dollars," I smiled and handed him the bag. In exchange, he gave me twenty dollars. I was slightly taken back by his sudden generosity.

"Keep the change," he said with a wink, "I never got your name, by the way." he said.

"Uh, um, thanks. Clary. Clary Fray. You?" I stuttered. Damnit.

He just smiled back and said, "Jace. Jace Wayland. See you around, Clary." I nodded and he walked out. _Jace_. That was a unique name. Yet, it fit him perfectly.

I checked my phone and sure enough it was already five o' clock. I figured this would be enough for the day considering this place was deserted. I slid back into my sweater, gathered my stuff and took a taxi back to the apartment, thinking about the wonder boy that appeared from my dreams.

When I got home, I immediately went to my sketchpad and ipod. I just could not get that guy out of my head. What was his name? Right, Jace. He looked around my age. I wonder what school he went to since I've never seen him before today.

My sketchbook ended up having dozens of pictures of Jace's face. Each tiny sketch showed different emotions. Sympathy, concentration, happiness, and arrogance, if that was an emotion. But aside all the looks and personality, what did it mean? Was there a purpose to my dream? Why did this happen to me? Whatever it was, I couldn't simply ignore it. I have to figure out why this is bugging me so much.

I don't really understand the second dream, but the first one was clear as crystal. He was a fallen angel and I was the only one there to save him. That was what I didn't understand. Whatever, there was a small chance that I was even going to see him again. But what if I do?

**Just to get some things straight:**

**-If I ever describe an outfit, you will usually see it in my profile.**

**-lyrics are italicized and I do not own any of them. I usually just write a few lines, not the whole song. Sometimes the songs don't have a meaning and I was just listening to it while I was writing. I listen to Pandora radio because it has great songs and I don't know much good songs.**

**-even though I might not put disclaimers, know that I still do mean them. I put one on the top of this chapter just for assurance.**

**-I cannot promise an update schedule because I don't usually stick to it. And I hate giving false hope. I will try to update as much as I can though.**

**Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Reviews are deeply appreciated.**

_Songs:_

_Lights by Ellie Gouldin_

_I'm So Tired by The Beatles – (When I was writing this part and listening to this song it was really late at night. I had trouble staying awake but it was worth it.)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Wake up call_

_Caught you in the morning _

_With another one in my bed_

_Don't you care about me anymore?_

_Don't you care about me? I don't think so._

I open my sand crusted eyes slowly and rub them clean. Today I had to go shopping with Isabelle at the mall, just for some good quality girl time that I haven't had for months. I turned off my radio alarm clock and went to take a shower. I hissed at the cold water that assaulted my body with goose bumps. When the temperature went up, I washed my body and hair. Now that I was completely clean, I dried and styled my hair so that it was completely straight. I figured a little makeup wouldn't hurt so I added mascara and lip gloss. I decided to wear a yellow tank top, ripped light wash jeans, and black converse.

Luckily, it's been sunny and a little warmer since Friday and it was the perfect weather to go shopping, even though the stores were indoors. I called for Simon and grabbed my bag. We arrived at a tall building that resided at the better part of town. I stared in awe at the fancy looking building and tried to look at the very top floor.

"Here we are," Simon saw me staring and grinned, "I know, right. That's how I reacted when I first came here." I looked back at Simon.

"Which floor do they live in?"

"They live on the top floor. Text her that you're on your way up, and tell her that Simon said hi. Do you have your phone with you?" I took it out of my bag and waved it in the air.

"Yes, mother. I'll be going now. Have fun at the bookstore." I waved goodbye to him and got out of the car. I looked back at the building and thought what anyone would've thought, Damn, Isabelle's rich. When I walked in, there was a person holding the door open for me and I nodded quickly at them. I entered the elevator and was lucky enough to have it all to myself. I texted Isabelle and told her that I was on my way up the elevator.

_Okay, I'll meet you there. ~Izzy_

I was a little nervous on the way up cause I've never been inside a place so high class. My family wasn't poor, but we didn't own millions. I finally reached the top floor of the building, which was the penthouse. Isabelle greeted me just outside of the elevator. She was wearing a cute grey sweater with a little lace on the back, a plaid miniskirt, and strappy heels. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail and her makeup was done to perfection.

"Hey Clary! Nice to see you again! I'm so glad you were able to come," she gave me a tight hug which I graciously gave back. "Cute outfit, by the way. Maybe we won't have too much trouble shopping with you."

"Thanks, Iz. I could say the same thing with your outfit, but ten times more," We walked into her gigantic penthouse and I had trouble keeping myself from gaping at everything. Soft white carpet covered the floor along with wooden planks. Tall windows lined the walls and showed the small pool outside. L shaped couches sat in front of the large wide screen TV.

"So, did you eat breakfast yet? I can cook you some quick pancakes," she suggested. I remember one time Simon came home from Izzy's with a horrible stomach ache. He was in bed and throwing up for a whole day. Then he warned me about eating Isabelle's cooking. I did him a favor and kept this a secret from Isabelle.

"Um, you know, I think I'll just have cereal. Do you have some?" I covered up quickly. She nodded and took out some Fruit Loops and milk. I poured it into a bowl and dug in with a spoon, of course.

"Do you mind if my brothers come? Sorry, my mom told me I couldn't go out without 'proper supervision'," she rolled her eyes. I guess I wouldn't mind that. It's a good time to meet the rest of her siblings. I nodded and continued to eat my cereal. She went off to the other side of the living room where the bedrooms probably were. "Guys, my friend's here! Let me introduce you to her and then we'll go to the mall." I went to the sink where I cleaned my bowl and spoon. I heard a deep voice respond from the room and doors being opened.

"We're coming, we're coming. Max, do you have everything with you?" a deep voice said.

"Yeah, I've got everything. Where's Isabelle's friend? I want to meet her," a slightly higher pitched voice said. Aww, he wanted to see me! How cute. I dried off my hands and made my way to the living room.

"Clary! There you are. Come meet my siblings," Isabelle said. They all had dark black hair except the little guy who had brown hair and glasses like Simon. The boy standing next to Isabelle had black hair and similar piercing blue eyes. He was tall and had a pretty lean and muscular body. I had to admit, he looked pretty decent. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall blonde who stood out from the group. I looked more closely and…

"Guys, this is Clary. She's Simon's sister. Clary, this one's name is Alec. He's a senior at Idris so you'll probably see him a lot. The little one is Max. He goes to a private elementary school somewhere here. And the last one is-"

"Jace," Isabelle was cut off. I stared in shock at the smirking blonde. "Nice to meet you, Clary." That ass, we've met before. He extended his hand and I hesitantly shook it. I felt a small spark and took my hand back quickly.

"Uhh, hi," I shook Alec and Max's hands. "It's nice to meet all of you. Shall we head to the mall now?" I tried to avoid Jace's stare by facing Izzy.

"Good idea. Let's go then," Izzy said. We grabbed our bags and headed towards the elevator. It was a little squished inside the elevator with all five of us. I noticed Max reading a book next to me. I sneaked a peak at what he was reading and I noticed that he was reading manga. I couldn't help but notice that he was looking through the pictures from left to right.

"Max, you're supposed to read the manga book starting from the right and start reading to the left," he jumped at the sound of my voice and looked up. He flipped to the very right page of the manga and started reading a few boxes.

"Ooooh, I get it now! Thanks, Clary. How'd you know that?" he smiled sweetly up at me. I returned the smile. He reminded me so much of Simon.

"Simon and I used to read a bunch of manga books when we were younger. Our favorite used to be Naruto. I still read them, but not as often as I used to."

"That's cool! I like you Clary," he said blushing. God, this kid was too cute. I smiled and ruffled his soft curly hair. The elevator arrived at the ground level and we all went outside to the streets of New York. It was actually nice and warm outside. More people crowded the streets to enjoy the sun while it was here. We called for a taxi and piled inside.

Once we got to the mall, Izzy pulled me inside the nearest clothing shop. I didn't want to spend that much since I had the money for our food. We went to several different stores including Forever 21, Hollister, H&M, and A&F. I only had one bag filled with two shirts and a pair of jeans. Izzy held two bags, plus four others that she had Jace and Alec carry.

Izzy stopped in front of a Victoria's Secret store and stared at it with excitement. I noticed her stare and gulped. I usually never went shopping in these kind of stores. Usually, my mom went inside there for me and picked out my undergarments. Izzy grabbed me by the wrist and speed walked into the shop. I looked back at the boys and shot them a pleading look. They just grinned back and followed us in.

"So, Clary. Have you ever been lingerie shopping?" Izzy asked while looking through underwear.

"Um…no," I said in a quiet voice. "I already spent all my money today, so it's not necessary. " I quickly covered up. It's kinda true. I already spent a little under fifty dollars so I didn't have anything else to buy.

"Already? But you only have one bag," she pointed at my one A&F bag, the ones with those hot guy models on them. "Don't worry, Clary. I got you covered. Pick whatever you want from here and I'll buy it for you," I was about to object but she put a hand over my mouth, "It's really no big deal. I'll help you find stuff." She withdrew her mouth and I was able to say thanks.

I just decided on a couple of boy shorts and a new bra. I went to Isabelle with my choices and she added a lacy black bra and matching black panties. I stared at the items with shock and blushed at the thought of anyone seeing me in this. I looked up and caught Jace staring at me with a smirk as female workers and shoppers gawked and tried to flirt with him. I smiled and blushed even more as Isabelle pulled me to the checkout counter.

Alec was already there talking, or _flirting_ to the cashier with Max holding his hand on the side. _He_ was very glittery and colorful. Alec saw us coming and said, "Hey guys. Clary, uh… this is my boyfriend… Magnus," he said shyly. _Oh,_ that made sense. I wasn't expecting that though. I smiled and greeted Magnus with a warm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, dear. I heard you were going to attend Idris this year. I look forward to seeing you there," he smiled back at me. Izzy and I put our items on the counter and Magnus started to scan them. "I gave you a small discount," he said with a wink.

"Thanks," we said. Izzy paid for the clothes and we grabbed our bags.

"You're welcome, my lovelies. See you around," we waved good bye to him walked out. We saw Jace flirting with some random store worker and noticed us leaving. He walked beside me sneaked a peek at my shopping bag.

"Ooh, is that for me?" he said. I glared at him and swatted his arm.

"Unless you mean you want to wear a bra and underwear, no and quit being a pervert," I retorted. He placed a hand over his heart and faked his hurt.

"Baby, I'm not being a pervert, I'm just being a boy," he replied and I rolled my eyes at his logic.

"Okay, guys. We should head home now," Alec said. We headed out of the mall and hailed a taxi.

"Clary, do you want to sleep over at our house?" Izzy asked.

"Sure. Do you mind if Simon comes too? I don't want to leave him alone at the apartment," I asked. Izzy's eyes visibly twinkled.

"Why not? Text him and tell him to meet us at our penthouse," She said. I took out my phone and texted him.

_Meet us at the penthouse. We're going to sleep over at Izzy's. ~Clary_

"Izzy's boyfriend is sleeping over? Eww, they won't make out, will they?" Max said with a disgusted look on his face. We all chuckled at Max except for Izzy who was scowling at Max.

"No! We're going to keep everything strictly PG tonight. But we might watch some PG 13 movies later at night," Izzy said. My phone buzzed and showed a text from Simon.

_Okay. I'll bring some stuff that we can do there. See you. ~Simon_

We arrived at the penthouse and put our bags inside Isabelle's room. Alec and Jace were propped on the couch with the TV turned on. Max sat on the floor next to their feet reading his manga.

"Do you guys want me to cook din-" Isabelle started. Everyone suddenly became alert and hurriedly declined at the request.

"I can make some dinner for us. I used to help my mom cook all the time. It's the least I can do," I suggested. "Come on, Izzy. You can help me with a couple of stuff." She nodded happily and followed me into the kitchen. We boiled some pasta in a pot and I showed Izzy how to chop up the ingredients for a marinara sauce. We made some meatballs and put them in the sauce. By the time we were done preparing the food and setting up the table, we heard the doorbell ring. Izzy went to open the door as I finished plating the pasta and called the boys up for dinner. Everyone entered the dining room impressed with my handy work.

"Wow, nice work, Shortcake," Jace said as he took a seat. I scowled and took the seat next to him. Everyone took a seat and started to dig in. Everyone had a pleased look on their face as they took their first bite of spaghetti.

"So, how'd all of you get into Idris?" Simon started the conversation.

"Well, I've been acting since I was little. I starred in little musicals before and I got to star in a commercial last year," Alec started. I was surprised. I didn't peg Alec as the acting type. Not to be offensive, but maybe that's how he hid that he was gay for a while.

"Oh yeah, remember when you were the tin man in the Wizard of the Oz? I think we still have the video…" Izzy said with a mischievous grin.

"No, no. I don't think that's necessary," he covered up. "Anyways, do you remember my boyfriend from the mall?" I nodded. "He specializes in fashion, along with Izzy."

"I've been playing the piano and singing since I was little, too. So I'm there for music," Jace said. I figured that made sense since he bought the song books a few days ago. "How about you guys?"

"I got admitted in because of I'm pretty good with digital designing," Simon said.

"He's pretty good with the computer, but he just utterly sucks with a paper and pencil. I specialize in traditional art. I've been self-taught ever since I was able to hold a pencil," I said.

"That's cool. I might want to draw manga, too. But, I don't know how to draw well," Max said. He played with his almost finished pasta.

"I'd love to teach you some time. Maybe later I can teach you some techniques," I said. He smiled cheekily and went to put his dish away. Soon after, everyone finished their dinner and put away their dishes.

"Hey guys, I brought some video games we can play like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty," Simon said. Alec went to wash the dishes while the rest of us settled in the living room.

"I must warn you all, I am pro at both those games," Jace said as he strapped on a guitar. I sat in front of the drum set and Simon grabbed a bass guitar. Izzy sat beside Simon and Max stood next to me to watch the game.

"Uh-huh. We'll see about that. Put it on Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi," I said. This was one of my best songs on the drums. Simon put it on and everyone switched to expert mode. When the song started, we were all concentrated on winning and getting all the notes right.

The song ended and we waited to see the results. I was ahead by a hundred points. "Yes!" my fist pumped the air and I turned to the guys who had scowls on their faces. "Rematch, anyone?" I challenged.

"Oh, you're on," Jace said. We went back to the selection screen and chose another song.

"Wait! Can I play?" Max asked with pleading eyes.

"Here, you can take my spot. Make sure you tone down the level so it's easier for you," I said. I handed him the drum sticks and let him sit on the chair.

"Naahh, I can handle expert mode. C'mon, let's play," Max said. They started the song and started playing. I noticed Max was missing most of the notes, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Okay, Clary and I will be in my room if you need us. Simon, you can just sleep on the couch. Alec can get you some sheets if you need them. Good night, boys," Izzy said as she dragged me into her room. It looked pretty normal in there. There were dark purple rooms with white rugs that were similar to the ones in the living room. Clothes were messily strewn across the ground and her queen sized bed. She cleaned up the mess on her bed and patted a place for me to sit.

"Finally, we get some time away from the boys. So, do you want me to do a makeover for you?" I've never done a makeover before. I guess it wouldn't hurt. I nodded and she took out a big ass make up kit. She turned on the ipod speakers up pretty high.

"Uhh, Iz? Isn't the music a little high? It might disturb your neighbors," I said as she started to dust my face with concealer.

"It's okay, the walls are thick here so no one will probably hear us, except maybe our brothers. Now, tell me about your old school. How was it like?" She asked. We talked about school, drama, girl stuff, and other random things girls usually talk about. It felt relaxing to just talk about life with a girl. It was way better than talking about guy stuff with Simon. After what felt like half an hour, Izzy announced that she was done. I reached for a mirror but Isabelle quickly swatted it away.

"What was that for? I just wanted to look at myself," I rubbed my hands together, annoyed.

"Not until I've finished your whole outfit. We're only half way done, girly," she said. I groaned and she just chuckled. She instructed me to sit on the stool next to her white vanity. There were already hair styling tools set up and plugged in.

"Just for the record, I officially feel like a freaking Barbie doll. I expected maybe a little makeup and some nail polish maybe," I said as she straightened my curly hair.

"Good idea! I'll get the nail polish after we pick out an outfit for you. We can do each other's nails," she said just when I thought it couldn't get worse. "Trust me, this is a win, win for both of us. I get to practice my fashion and you get a full on makeover. I need the practice. I've never worked on a ginger before so this will be fun. One day, you'll thank me one day."

She re-curled my hair with a curling iron. Thankfully, she added a heat protectant to my hair so it wouldn't get too damaged with all this heat. Then, she took a slip of hair next to my ear and braided it so that it reached to the other side of my head like a headband. After she secured it with a bobby pin, she led me to her closet and picked out a black sleeveless that was poofy in the hips and became lighter towards the bottom of the dress.

"Here, try this one. Don't worry I won't look, but I don't want you to see yourself quite yet in the bathroom mirror," Izzy said. I changed into the dress, and it fit quiet comfortably on my body.

"Okay, how do I look?" I asked. Izzy turned around and looked at me approvingly. I twirled in front of her and posed dramatically, making her laugh at me.

"I like working with gingers! It's one of my better jobs, if I say so myself," I walked around in it and felt the fabric between my fingers. Suddenly, Izzy grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of her room. "Let's show the guys how well I transformed you!" I sighed and followed her to the living room where the guys were playing Call of Duty. They were so engrossed with their game that they didn't notice us come in. We stood behind them and silently watched them play.

"Who's winning?" I asked. Alec and Max turned around and gaped when they saw me. I saw a little blush on Max's cheeks and Alec just stared.

"Currently me, but Simon's trailing behind closely," Jace said. He and Simon haven't turned around yet. I felt a little irritation because they didn't notice yet, but I brushed it off.

"Well, that's sad. Usually, Simon's killing streaks are longer. I think he's losing his edge," I taunted with my hands on my hips.

"Well excuse me," Simon said and turned around. His eyes widened in shock when he saw me. "Uhh, Clary, are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Boys, meet my new found Barbie girl! Doesn't she look pretty? Thanks to yours truly," Izzy said with a smirk. Simon and Alec nodded in understanding.

"Oh Angel, Izzy, what did you-" Finally, Jace turned around and looked at me. His eyes went up and down my body, visibly checking me out. "-do to her…" Simon nudged him with his elbow and glared.

"Alec, does Jace have a crush on Clary?" Max asked. Alec chuckled at Max's straight forwardness. I blushed and laughed awkwardly.

"That's none of your business, Max. But I'd be lying if I said you didn't look good, Clary," Jace said. He smirked and winked at me.

"Thanks. Well, you can return to your game, now. Let's go Izzy," I said and walked back to her room. "Well, that was interesting, don't you think?" I plopped onto her bed, making it bounce.

"No kidding. It's like they've never seen a gorgeous girl before. Now, let's start with those manicures," I helped her clean up the mess of makeup, and she took out all of her nail polish colors. She had a whole tub filled with various colored polish.

Isabelle gave me French tips with a white flower that had green leaves and a beaded center on my thumbs. Simple, yet elegant. I put a pale pink base coat for Izzy with white sakura flowers.

"Perfect! Now your outfit is complete. You don't mind showing a picture of you to Magnus, do you?" Izzy asked. I nodded and she took out her phone to take the photo. I smiled at the camera until I heard a click. "Okay, I sent it to him. You could change into some of my pajamas if you want. They might be a bit big for you." I sighed in relief at the thought of getting out of this outfit. It was cute, but it felt weird dressing up for no apparent reason. I took Izzy's oversized tee and pj shorts and quickly changed into them. She gave me a makeup wipe that I cleaned myself with.

"Let's go back and watch a movie. Which one did you rent out?" I asked. I was always in love with action movies because the fighting scenes were always cool to watch.

"Sherlock Holmes. They should be setting it up by now. Go ahead and join them, I'm going to put Max to bed," Izzy said. We went into the living room and sure enough, the screen showed the menu of the movie. Simon was inside the kitchen popping some popcorn in the microwave. Jace had set up some cushions on the ground that I assumed was for me and him. Alec was lying in his stomach on the long side of the couch and Simon and Isabelle sat on the corner of the L shaped couch.

I turned off the lights when they started the movie and sat next to Jace. He smiled at me and wrapped his arm around me so I was able to lean into him. It was an oddly friendly gesture for a friend. Did he want to be more than friends or is he just being _very_ friendly. Oh well, I tried not to question myself and just watch the movie.

An hour or so later, I checked my phone for the time. 1:37 a.m. I yawned. No wonder I was so tired. I snuggled more into Jace's warm embrace, which he tightened. I couldn't help but close my heavy eyelids. I was in a comfy place that you couldn't normally get with a pillow and blanket. Actually, I've never been this intimate with a boy, if I thought about it. Sure, I've hugged and pecked a boy before, but this was different in a way. It felt so comfortable and safe, and Jace smelled sweet like… sunshine? With a hint of Axe. Yes, that's the best way that describes him. _Sigh,_ this felt so good.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update. I just had to finish it today. I was writing all day but I couldn't let my creative juices flowing the whole day. It's like eleven p.m. so I don't really feel like reading the chapter over. Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! It means a lot to know that people out there are pleased with this story. :) Lots of dresses in this chapter ;D Sometimes I get a little fashion crazy :P**

**Anonymous: Haha yes, Jace is the fallen angel. Sorry if that wasn't clear. I only have the close few chapters planned out and main ideas of the whole story planned out and I haven't put Seb in the story yet. Actually, after thinking over this review, I have an idea on what to do with him :) You'll see! P.S. I have yet to read CoLS so no spoilers please! xD**

**FALlen ANGels 1243: Thanks for reviewing! Just to warn you, I might not always update every day. If I'm lucky, I'll update in the next two or some days. I'm new at writing, I also draw stuff and post it on deviantart, I have to practice my instrument, and plus school is starting next week so that adds to the list. Thanks for the support :)**

**Edit: Guest: Sorry about that! I fixed it so I hope that helps. I promise I won't write something prejudice next time but I just never went shopping to some of those stores because they were so expensive! I rarely go out shopping so sue me!**

_Songs:_

_Wake up Call by Maroon 5 – (I like using ironic songs)_

_I don't really believe in Chapter songs cause it makes it harder to read for me. It keeps me more concentrated when I listen while writing._


	3. Chapter 3

I wake up from my peaceful slumber and stretch my tired muscles. I'm sleeping on Isabelle's bed with her on the opposite side still sleeping. The sun is peeking its way through the curtains and softly lighting up the room. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in Jace's warm embrace. I reminisce the feeling of being safely wrapped up in his arms. _Snap out of it, Clary._ I just met him a couple of days ago! Get a hold of yourself.

I figured I'd just go to the kitchen and whip up some breakfast for them. I went into the kitchen and checked the clock. _12:03!_ Damn, these people like to sleep in. It was pretty quiet in the house so it didn't sound like anyone was awake. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth with the toothbrush Simon brought from our apartment and brushed my unruly hair. I was too lazy to put it in a bun so I just let it fall behind my back.

I grabbed my ipod from my bag and put my headphones around my neck, music blasting on high. I put the cord under my shirt and tucked the ipod on the waistband of my pajama shorts so I wouldn't ruin them. I took out the ingredients for a pancake mix and started mixing them in a bowl. I started to heat up a pan when I heard the door open. Uh oh, what if it was a burglar trying to sneak inside their home? I gripped the spatula with both hands and peaked outside from the kitchen door. I cautiously stepped outside and checked for intruders.

"Hey Clary," a voice said behind me. I quickly drew back my weapon, ready to attack the person. "Woah there, Clary! It's me, Jace!" I stared wide-eyed behind me to find a rather sweaty Jace who was trying to shield himself from me. He was wearing a grey wife beater and black basketball shorts. I couldn't help but admire how it hugged his well-defined chest. I quickly looked up at his eyes so it didn't look like I was staring for too long. "Heh, what are you doing with a spatula? If I were you in the kitchen, I would've grabbed a knife or something sharper to defend myself" He smirked at me. I crossed my arms over my chest, after I swatted him with the spatula.

"At least I had the courage to go over here anyways. I was peacefully cooking some breakfast for the people who are still sleeping," I walked back to the kitchen to continue preparing the food. He stood behind me and grabbed the spatula out of my hands.

"How about I make the food? You did cook for us last night," he said. He poured some of the pancake mix on the pan and started cooking bacon in another. I looked at him incredulously.

"Uh, thanks. But why don't you clean yourself up first before you start touching our food," I said with a smirk. He chuckled and tossed the spatula back to me.

"Right. Be back in a few minutes," he stalked off to the bedrooms and left me with the food. I watched it to make sure it didn't burn or anything. Ten minutes later, he reappeared in the kitchen freshly bathed, shirtless, and wearing a pair of dark wash denim jeans that hung off his hips perfectly. I handed him the spatula, which he graciously took with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and went to the coffee maker to quickly make a quick batch of fresh coffee. I poured myself a cup of plain black coffee and leaned on the island that was placed in the middle of the room. I sipped my coffee, my elbows supporting my weight. It was silent in the room with the exception of the sound of food being cooked.

"So, where were you this morning?" I asked. My eyes raked up and down his body, greedily inspecting his _fiiine _body. Hmm… I usually wasn't this perverted around guys. But, there was something about watching a guy cook for you that was such a turn on.

"I went out for a run. Everyone was still asleep by the time I woke up. You guys really know how to sleep in," he said.

"Mhmm…" I hummed. I was in my own little bubble watching his muscles move every time he flipped a pancake or when he scrambled the eggs. The sight of him was just so mesmerizing. I thought of how those same arms were around me last night.

_Suddenly I see_

_This is what it means to me_

_Suddenly I see_

_Why the hell it means so much to me_

I softly hummed along with the music as I sipped coffee and continued to gawk. Wow, look at those abs. His chest wasn't bad at all either. Oh look, a belly button…

"How long have you been staring?" Jace said. I quickly looked up at his eyes. He had a wicked grin that was taking up almost half his face. Amusement practically poured out of his eyes. I blushed furiously but kept my glare and took a noisy sip at my coffee.

"What makes you think I was staring?" I questioned bravely. I silently vowed to myself to never stare at someone for more than five seconds. He laughed and started to pile the food on some plates.

"Whatever you say, but I still know that you were admiring my hot bod. No need for shame," he said and winked at me. I glared at him but I couldn't muster enough will to deny anything. "So, are you going to help set up the table or what, Shortcake?"

"Call me Shortcake again and I might just rethink our friendship," I warned. I grabbed some plates from the cabinets and set up the placemats on the table. Jace gathered the silverware and placed them next to the plates. Somewhere along the way, I placed the last plate on the table and Jace trapped me with his arms on either sides of me, placing the last of the spoon and forks. I immediately flushed at his closeness and tried to squirm, but he kept his posture.

"Well, maybe I can change your mind about that, Shortcake," he whispered next to my ear.

_It started with a whisper_

_And that was when I kissed her_

_And then she made my lips hurt _

_I could hear the chit chat, take me to your love shack_

_Mama's always gotta back track when everybody talks back_

_Oh the irony…_ I was pretty sure he was able to hear from the head phones, too. I turned slightly to the side to try to do _something _like to tell him to give me some goddamn space, but he had already put his lips on mine. I was just in complete shock at first, and it seemed that he was pretty hesitant at first, too. I started to respond to the kiss, which gave him the sign to keep going. His lips were so soft, gentle, and slow. He was a much better kisser than the boys I've been with before. We both kept our bodies still with the exception of our mouths, which were exploring each other.

"CLARY! JACE! Where are you guys?" Izzy shouted from the living room. I was so surprised and felt a sudden surge of panic, so I involuntarily bit down on Jace's bottom lip, _hard._ He let out a deep groan from his throat from either pain or pleasure, I wasn't so sure. We both pulled away quickly when we heard Izzy's voice come closer.

"There you guys are! I was starting to worry when I didn't see you in my room," Izzy said to me. I was still pretty flushed but Jace had his back turned to us, so I couldn't see his face.

"Oh, uh, sorry Iz. I woke up earlier so I thought I'd just help Jace make breakfast," I covered up. I wasn't lying, I was just leaving out a few simple details. She noticed the table set up behind me and brightened up.

"Oh! Thanks a bunch! I'll go get the others for breakfast, or should I say brunch. I mean, damn! It's already noon. You should have woken us up earlier," she said as she walked towards the door. "By the way, Jace put on a shirt. You're probably scaring Clary." And with that, she finally left and called for the others. I released a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding. I looked back at Jace, who had finally turned around. I could tell he was just a little bit still flushed like I was. Wow, I had _that_ effect on a guy.

"I'm not scaring you, am I?" He said with a nervous chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

"Haha, no, you're not. Don't worry, it's just Izzy," I ran my hands through my hair and parted the back side so that it flowed on both sides over my chest. He nodded and gave me a quick wink before exiting the room.

The others streamed into the dining room, which was next to the kitchen. They were both bordered by a wall that separated them from the living room, just in case I didn't explain earlier.

"Good morning," they all said. Everyone took a seat on the table and started piling their plates with food. Jace came in, now wearing a shirt and took a seat with us.

"I'm hoping you all slept well last night. I was afraid you guys wouldn't wake up at all," Jace said as he added a stack of pancakes on his plate.

"HOLY SHI- crap!" Simon said. Everyone looked at him questioningly. "I forgot about the bookstore! I need to run there right now!" He grabbed his essentials and a paper plate with pancakes and bacon. "Bye guys, see you later!" He quickly pecked Isabelle on the cheek and rushed out.

"Wait, what about me?" I said with a confused face. I still had to go home too.

"Haha, it's okay, Clary. You can hang with us for today. Maybe we can go to that all-ages night club later!" Izzy suggested.

"Oh god, Izzy. Did mom and dad say that you can go out clubbing?" Alec said.

"It's okay! You guys can come with us while Max can sleep over with one of his friends," Izzy said. Everyone finished their breakfast-lunch and piled the dishes at the sink.

"Can you drop me off at my house later? I need to bring our stuff back and get some things," I said.

"Sure. I'm going to get ready. We'll leave in half an hour," Izzy declared and went back to the bedrooms. Alec nodded and he and Max went to the living room, leaving me and Jace to clean up. I scrubbed the dirty dishes and he dried them.

"Listen," he started, "sorry for coming on you like that. It was totally uncalled for." I looked up and met his eyes. He looked pretty sincere and any sign of sarcasm was gone. I reassured him with a genuine smile that seemed to lighten his mood.

"It's totally okay. It's only a one-time thing, right?" he looked down and his shoulders fell, which was quickly masked back up with an impassive look. He mumbled a silent agreement and continued to dry the dishes. "No harm, no foul, I guess." The rest of the time we were both quiet, making me kind of awkward. There was such a change in atmosphere that made me feel a little nervous.

We were finally done with cleaning and Jace started towards the door. I quickly grabbed his hand for some reason because I just didn't want him to leave at a somewhat bad note. He turned around and looked at me with one of his eyebrows raised.

"Save me a dance tonight?" I squeaked. It just came out without warning. I couldn't ignore the spark that ignited when our hands touched. I know, how cliché. The corner of his mouth turned up and gave my hand a small squeeze.

"Sure. Looking forward to it," we both smiled and he left the kitchen. I let breathed out and thought about what just happened.

Oh my god… he just kissed me. I promised him a dance tonight. All the signs were there, but how could he possibly like me? Out of all the girls in the world, I'm pretty sure there are some who can out-pretty me and get Jace's attention. I was just a short, red headed art geek who had a feisty attitude. _Real special._

I went back to the living room to pack up the game consoles and game items that Simon brought from home. Izzy was all ready to go and was waiting in her room. I gathered my things and she followed me out.

"Okay, ready to go?" I nodded and grabbed a box that I filled the game stuff in. "Boys! We're ready to go!" We walked to the elevator, down to the lobby, and into the parking lot where their minivan was parked. We piled in and drove over to my apartment.

"We'll drop you guys over there and then we'll pick you up later after we drop off Max at his friend's house," Alec said. Izzy and I said goodbye and headed towards the apartment. I noticed she was carrying a suspicious big bag with her. We entered the room which looked pretty normal and untouched. Izzy dropped her mystery bag on the couch and sat down.

For a couple of hours, we just hung out and watched some TV to pass the time. I learned that her whole life she's been living in New York with her family. Her parents are both successful doctors who sometimes traveled all around the world to help treat certain diseases. After a year or two after Max was born, her parents decided to adopt Jace. They wanted to help him because he had a really rough life before and his parents died in a freak accident. She also warned him about being a notorious player ever since seventh grade and always blocked out people from his emotions with the exception of her, Alec, and sometimes Max.

"What time is it?" Izzy asked. I checked my phone for the time. I texted Simon that we'd be going to a club later. He texted back that he'll stay home since clubs weren't his thing.

"About 5:30." I told her. She got up and went over to the mystery bag that she had brought.

"Good, we have just enough time to get ready. We'll be leaving at eight," she took out the dress that she had me try on last night and a different dress that I was guessing she was gonna wear. Most of the work was done by Izzy, since I wasn't as experienced as her with fashion. She did our makeup, hair and brought the clothes and accessories. We listened to the radio which was turned up and we sang along.

So I put my hands up, they're playin' my song

The butterflies fly away

I'm noddin' my head like Yeah!

Movin' my hips like Yeah!

Got my hands up, they're playin' my song

And now I'm gonna be okay

Yeah! It's a party in the USA!

We stopped what we were doing and got up and sang and danced to the overly happy music, just acting silly and swinging our hips like no body's watching. We were laughing and singing until the song was over and waited for the next song to come up. We made fun of the DJ commercials where they talked to people over the phone and told crazy stories about their lives. I've never felt so carefree in my life.

~ding-dong~

I got up from where I was sitting and walked over to the door. Simon had just gotten back from the store.

"Hey!" I let him in and closed the door. "Where's Izzy?" he asked.

"She's over at my room. We were still getting ready. We'll probably leave around eight," I said as I sauntered over back to Izzy. She continued to fix my hair. We were both almost ready to go.

"Who was it?" she asked as she pulled the straightener through sections of my hair.

"It was just Simon. He got back from the store," she set down the tool and started braiding. When she was done with me, she started curling her own hair. I leaned on the wall next to my bed and closed my eyes as the radio played songs.

I've never been to a club before. I've seen how people dance at a school dance or prom, and I never actually wanted to do _that_ kind of dancing. It didn't even look like dancing, maybe dry humping or whatever you want to call it. It's probably ten times worse at a club. Maybe agreeing to go wasn't the best idea, but if Isabelle says that it's gonna be fun, I'm just gonna have to trust her word. I'm already prepped and ready so there's no turning back. I'd hate to bail and ruin it for everyone.

"Wake up sleepy head, it's time to go," Izzy shook my shoulder and woke me up from my quick nap. I got up and followed her to the living room where Jace and Alec were waiting. When Simon saw Izzy, he immediately stood up and gaped at her. I smirked at his reaction and looked at the other boys. Jace wore a red button up shirt with black jeans and Alec wore a black v-neck, dark wash denim jeans, and a grey beanie. I had to admit, they both looked pretty good.

"Ready to go, girls?" Alec said. We waved goodbye to Simon and walked over their car which was a sleek black Mercedes. Inside was Magnus on the driver's seat. Alec sat on the passenger seat and the rest of us sat in the back. And of course, since I was the shortest, I had to sit in the middle.

"Good evening, darlings. It's nice to see you again, Clary. You both look completely ravishing," Magnus said. He was able to look at us through the car mirror. I smiled and blushed.

"Thanks, Mags," we both said. I checked out what he was wearing. He had a black leather jacket over a neon blue tank top and dark blue pants. His hair was in its usual spikes and dusted glitter.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I commented. He smiled at me and turned on the radio. I looked out through the window and watched the lights of New York pass by. The speeding lights and bright colors were so mesmerizing. Something in my view stood out the most, and that was the unique color of Jace's eyes that stared directly into me.

"What? Is there something wrong with my makeup?" I ask and self-consciously bring my hand up to my face. He chuckled and took my hand in his own.

"No, you're makeup is fine. The only problem is that it makes you look too pretty," his small compliment made those stupid butterflies in me fly everywhere. I grinned at him and was about to say thank you.

"Thanks, I put a lot of effort into perfecting the look," Izzy said. Magnus and Alec nodded in agreement, making me blush even more than I already was. I was so used to being invisible in my old school so being complimented by four gorgeous people was sort of overwhelming.

"Okay, we're here," we had arrived at a club that had a large line trailing down from the entrance. Some multicolored lights escaped from the entrance and the loud bass can be heard from the outside. We all got out of the car and I tried to look for the end of the gigantic line. There were two muscular men guarding the entrance into the club.

"Uhh, are the lines usually this long? It's gonna take forever to get inside!" I said exasperatedly. Magnus laughed out loud and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Darling, I didn't say anything about waiting," he said. He leaned in and whispered, "I have my connections." He let go with a smirk on his face and winked before he went over to the entrance. We all followed him and the security guards moved out of the way for us.

_Oh god…_ this is exactly how I imagined it would be like. I mass of bodies dancing to a loud beat, bright strobe lights lighting the room, smell of sweat and alcohol lingering in the air, and of course, the bar. I immediately went there before I did anything. My throat was screaming for liquid to stream through it. I sat on one of the stools and a bartender came to me for my order.

"What can I get you, miss?" he shot me a smile that showed his perfect teeth. He looked like he was around our age. He looked pretty decent; dark brown hair that was slightly disheveled and dark brown eyes that looked almost black. He looked pretty lean and a little muscly under his uniform. It looked like he was leaning in towards me when he spoke and I was able to smell a hint of his cologne.

"Vodka," I joked. He laughed at me, obviously not believing me.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Sixteen. You?"

"Seventeen," he said with a smirk.

"Don't you have to be eighteen to work as a bartender?" I asked cautiously. This made him smirk even more.

"My dad owns the place. He said I can use the extra money and plus he's got cameras on the bar. Don't worry, I'm responsible," he said jokingly.

"Ahh. Don't worry, I trust you," I said with a wink. Oh no, is that too flirtatious? "Anyways, I would like a Pepsi, please."

"On your way, miss." he went to get my drink and came back with it soon. "Here you go. I haven't gotten your name yet. My name is Sebastian." I took a sip from the straw and the cool soda freshened up my throat.

"Clary. Which school do you go to?"

"I'm going to Idris High School of the Arts," he says dramatically. I giggle at his hand gestures. "I'm a dancer. Yes, I know, what a girly passion. My mom put me in tights when I was just a lad." He faked a traumatized face that made me giggle even more.

"Don't worry, I don't think that's _too _girly. I actually go to Idris too. I just got an admittance letter last week. I specialize in visual arts, so I'm a painter. I've been handling a paint brush since I was just a wee lass." I said catching up with his humor. He chuckled at me and his eyes sparkled with humor.

"I'm gonna have to leave you for a while and attend to my other customers, but want to exchange numbers?" he asked. I nodded and he took out a pen from his pocket. I let him scribble his number on the back of my hand and I did the same with his hand, which was considerably larger than my puny one. I gave him the money for my drink.

"No, no, it's okay. It's in the house. Well, see you later," he winked at me and then left to serve someone else. I blushed and looked at my hand. Well that was certainly interesting. I finished my drink and went into the crowd of dancing people to try to find Izzy. She was in the middle of a group of guys that she was dancing with and Maia, who was a friend that I knew from my old school, but she graduated that year.

"Hey guys!" I screamed over the loud music. They smiled at me and continued to dance. I swayed my hips to the music and tried to let myself ease up. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Suddenly, pair of hands attach themselves to my waist. I tense up and look at the culprit. It was a tall guy with light brown straight hair that framed his face. He looked down at me with a flirtatious smile and hazel eyes. I looked back at Isabelle and Maia who noticed and gave me an okay sign with their hands and winking their eyes.

I started dancing with tall brunette boy and started to have a little fun with it. All was well until he started to freaking hump me like no tomorrow. A freaking bulge was sticking into my behind. God, this guy was an animal! I ripped myself from his grip and glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked angrily. I don't even get why people _did_ that. It just felt plain uncomfortable for me, especially since it was with a stranger. I didn't even know the guy!

"C'mon, I was just having a little fun," he said. He tried to get at me again by putting his hands back at my hips trying to kiss me. I tried to push him away and turn my cheek to him.

"Hey buddy, I don't think she really wants you. Take a hint already," someone said. I looked behind the date raper and saw my golden angel standing behind him. Brunette boy looked up and glared at Jace. I took this as my chance to knee him in the groin. He doubled over and I walked away towards Jace, leaving him in his misery.

"Heh, thanks. That guy was really getting on my nerves," I said. I kind of felt embarrassed for letting him do that. But other than that nasty ending, I actually had fun dancing with the girls.

"Any time. So, still up for that one dance you promised me?" he asked. I nodded with a smile and we started dancing to the music. I had my hands on his shoulders and he placed his hands on my hips. We danced in our own little world with the music. I felt a vibration in my bra and I checked it. It was my phone and the caller id read MOM. I excused myself from Jace who gave me a funny look and went to the quieter part of the bar.

"Hello? Mom?" I held the phone close to my ear and cupped my hand over the speaker.

"Clary?! Honey, are you okay? Where are you?" she asked in a hurry. She sounded really worried.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm hanging out with Izzy and her siblings. At a club…" I said the last part quietly. Why did she suddenly call?

"Okay, honey. Come home right now. Luke and I just arrived. Don't ask any questions just go straight home. Make sure you get here safely," she said and then she hung up. Hmm… that was odd. I thought she was supposed to be here in a couple of days? I went back to Jace and Izzy and told them that I had to leave.

"Why? It's not even midnight yet," Izzy shouted.

I shrugged and said, "My mom's back home from LA early. I still don't know why and she told me to come home right now."

"Okay, let's get Alec and Magnus and then we can drive you back home," Jace said. We got Alec and Magnus who were hanging out at the bar and we exited the bar.

"So, why did your mom want you back home? Was there a problem or were you not allowed to go to a club?" Magnus asked as he drove us back to my apartment.

"I don't know. She didn't really let me ask her. But she sounded really desperate, and I learned at a young age that you do not disagree with mommy," I said. He smiled at the comment. When we got to my apartment, I waved bye to them and went inside. I knocked on the door and Luke opened the door. He closed the door behind me and pulled me in for a quick hug. His eyes were rimmed with red and he had bags, like he hasn't had enough sleep. I walked in and met my mom on the couch. She gave me a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"What's wrong, Mom? Why are you guys back early from LA? I thought you would be there until Friday," I questioned. They were both acting kind of strange.

"Oh, um, there was a problem over at the art show, and we had to leave early. Don't worry about it. So, you said you were out at a night club?" I started to worry. Maybe she was going to punish me for going out without telling her first. I bit my lip and nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Just be careful when you go out. Always stick with your friends and don't go anywhere alone. Now go to bed, sweetheart. It's getting late, we should get some rest." I nodded and headed towards the bathroom.

I cleaned all the makeup from my face and switched into my pyjamas. I brushed my teeth and brushed tangles out of my hair. When I went to bed, I couldn't sleep. Partly because I woke up late today and also because my mind kept on replaying the events of today. Ugh, I hate nights like this. I'm twisting and turning all over the bed until I finally fall asleep.

* * *

**Eeep! Sorry! I know I said that I was gonna post yesterday, but typing this on the computer, the internet is always there to tempt me into surfing it and… stuff. I checked Cassandra Clare's tumblr and she had the most… amazing pictures of Kevin and Godfrey (aka Alec and Magnus) So yeah, I stared at that all day. I even started to read when I got a little stuck. I'm literally typing this at 2 am in the morning. Hope you like this chapter! I enjoyed writing it. Extra long chapters for extra long waits!**

**Thanks for all of those who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story :) You forever have my gratitude. After reading them, I get really happy and get sudden urges to write *wink wink* By the way, I finally came up with a better title for this story :D How I Met My Angel. I thought IHSA was kinda bland and boring :( So yeah!**

_Songs:_

_Suddenly I See by KT Tunstall_

_Everybody Talks by Neon Trees_

_Party In the USA by Miley Cyrus_


	4. Chapter 4

_Knock-Knock-Knock_

"Honey, it's time to wake up. Get ready for school," Jocelyn said through the door. I lazily got up and walked over to the bathroom. The freezing cold water woke me up and I cleaned myself with soap. First day of your new school, Clary. I dry myself and blow dry my hair so that they fell in their usual ringlets down my shoulders. I put on a light blue-green jacket over a white tank top and white shorts.

I walk over to the kitchen and take a plate full of breakfast that Jocelyn had already cooked. I was so excited to go to the new school and see how it's like. I have a fresh new start and I can focus on art. I heard the doorbell ring and I got up from the table to check the door. I looked through the peephole, but no one's there. I opened the door to make sure they didn't leave already.

"Good morning!" Izzy screams from the side. I almost scream out in surprise but she gives me a tight hug before I got to do anything. I returned the hug and pulled away.

"Hey, why are you here so early?" I asked. I noticed that Jace and Alec were standing behind her.

"Didn't Simon tell you? We're here to carpool to the school," Izzy said. I welcomed them inside the apartment and into the dining room where breakfast was. "So what was up last Tuesday? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, my mom just came back early from LA. Nothing big," I said. Simon came in and greeted the others. We all ate breakfast quickly and went out to the car.

We arrive at the Idris and I am in awe at the building. It's got a tall multi-floor building in the heart of the school and other buildings surrounded it. I was definitely going to get lost here. We walk into the huge building in the middle. The first floor had the school office in it. There was a receptionist in the middle of the room.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

"Hi, we're new to this school. My name is Simon Lewis and this is my step sister, Clary Fray," Simon introduced us.

"Oh, good morning. Welcome to this school. I'll go get your schedules from the computer," she said. She typed and clicked the mouse and the printer near her began to print some papers. She handed us our schedules and a map to the school.

"Here are your schedules. If you ever get lost, you have the map with you. The schedule shows your classes and lockers. Have a good day," she flashed us a warm smile and we walked out of the building. Izzy was waiting for us outside of the building.

"Hey guys!" she snatched away our schedules and scanned over them. "Sweet! We have some classes together. Simon and I have the same homeroom," they hugged each other and I suddenly felt left out. I took our schedules and looked over them. I had two classes with Izzy and one class with Simon.

"Yeah, thanks for leaving me out of it, guys," I said with a scowl. They laughed and pulled me into their group hug. The bell rang throughout the humungous school signaling us to go to our classes. I waved good bye to them and turned to walk to my class. Like I predicted, I did get lost. I was turning the halls and I saw that people started to disperse already. I found my locker and tried to open it. I twisted the dial with my combination, but the stupid thing just won't budge. After the fifth time, I finally got it to open and I threw my things in there, also getting the things I need for the next class. I shut the locker and turned when I finally noticed a tall stature. I screamed and noticed that the person was somewhat familiar.

"Clary?" he said.

"Sebastian?" we both laughed and hugged each other. I had been texting him and talking to him over the phone ever since we exchanged numbers. "Hey! Do you mind showing me where my class is? We're already kind of late and I'm already lost."

"Sure, let me look at your schedule," I handed him my schedule and he scanned it. He suddenly had a big smile on his face and looked at me. "We have like three classes together! Who would've thought you were such a brainiac. Follow me, we have homeroom together." We hurried to the class in a light jog. By the time we entered the class, we were both panting like dogs and the bell had just rung. We smiled at each other and took seats at the back of the class.

"Okay, everyone, take your seats. My name is Mr. Hodge, but you can just call me Hodge. I would prefer it over Mr. Hodge and any of your nicknames. So, summer is finally over, which means that it's a time of learning once again…" he continued to talk about this and that about the class, the usual things that teachers say on the first day.

I took out my sketchbook from my backpack and opened it to a fresh page. I opened my pencil pouch and started drawing random doodles on the page. Sebastian stole a pencil from my pouch and started to draw on the opposite page. I put the sketch book on the middle of our desk and we started a doodle war, him using stick figures and me drawing intricate figures. We were snickering quietly at the small war on the two pages.

Suddenly, a crumpled up piece of paper lands in front of us. I look at Seb who shares the same confused expression as I did. I unfolded the paper and read the note that was written inside it.

_Drawing in class? Shouldn't you guys be paying attention to teacher? ;) ~Jace_

We look simultaneously at Jace who was a sitting next to Kaelie a row in front of us. We scribble our response and tossed it back to him.

_We're having an intense doodle war. ~Seb_

_Currently kicking his stick figure ass right now. ~Clary_

Seb crumpled it and threw it, making it hit Kaelie's jaw and falling on top of her cleavage. Seb and I tried to stifle our laughter but came out it struggled gasps. The note was thrown back and I caught it just as it hit me.

_Watch where you throw your trash, uncoordinated bitch. ~Kaelie_

_Sorry about this one, just PMSing like usual. Mind if check out that doodle war? ~Jace_

Seb's mouth formed an O and I giggled at his expression. We wrote our message, tucked it on the page of my sketch book, and then surreptitiously passed it over to Jace.

_She just called me uncoordinated. :( ~Seb_

_It's okay, Seb, it's natural. And anyways, doodle wars are much more productive than listening to useless things like what the teacher expects of us this year. :) ~Clary_

I started to twirl my pencil between my fingers while Seb attempted to do the same, but failing miserably. I chuckled at him and shook my head. I looked back at Jace and it looked like he had been scowling at Sebastian. He handed me the sketchbook with the note inside it.

_You're a really good artist. The pictures in the book are really detailed. I especially like the drawings of me on this one page. You really catch my inner sexiness ;) ~Jace_

_If it was Sebastian, then I was just kidding ;) Doodling during class is really immature, Clary. Artists are such snobs. ~Kaelie_

I scoffed at Kaelie's note and glared at her. I felt Seb's hand on my shoulder and calmed down a little. Oh God, Jace saw the whole page filled with sketches of him. Seb took the sketchbook and flipped through it, stopping at that exact page. He smirked and started to laugh quietly at me. I shall now rot in embarrassment. I blushed and quickly snatched the book away from his hands. The bell rang and the teacher dismissed us to our next classes.

"Why Clary, I didn't know you had such a big crush on Jace," Seb said winking at me. I groaned and facepalmed myself.

"I do _not_ have a crush on that guy. He's just a friend. You do not know how it feels like to be an artist, constantly wanting to draw anything that catches your eye," I say. He didn't seem convinced.

"Suuure. Whatever you say," we walked to our next class which was across the campus. Inside the classroom, the desks were placed in rows. We took seats next to each other in the middle of the class. I found a seat next to Izzy, who was also in this class.

"Hey! How's your first day of school so far?" she asked. She looked next to me and saw Seb, who I had walked in with. "And is that the Seb guy you mentioned before?" she whispered not too quietly. I looked back at Sebastian, who had a big smirk on his face and narrowed my eyes at him.

He chuckled and said, "I've been mentioned? How honored I feel." I smacked him in the arm and introduced the two. They just nodded and said a quick greeting.

"I had homeroom with Seb. Apparently we have three classes together. Joy," I said sarcastically and rolled my eyes. "Oh, and I saw Jace there, too. He was sitting to this girl named Kaelie." Izzy's eyes visibly widened.

"You mean that bitch, Kaelie? Is he still having a fling with that slut?" she said angrily.

"I'm taking that you don't like this chick, am I right?" I said. This time Sebastian piped in.

"She's notorious for sleeping with half the guys in the school. I hate to say that I'm one of those guys," he said shamefully. I patted him on the shoulder for reassurance. "Jace happens to be the one that she goes back to most often."

"I would recommend staying away from being in any type of relationship with both of them. Jace is my step brother and all, but what a player he is," Izzy said. I couldn't say that I was surprised. They both seemed to be picture perfect on the outside. I could imagine them being together.

The next few classes passed by like a breeze. Each class, all the teachers gave the same old introduction speech. When lunch came, I sat with the usual gang, Izzy, Simon, Sebastian, Alec, and Magnus. They all kept a conversation that I wasn't listening to that much. I think it was something about abducting cows, or something really random. I commented a few times and smiled whenever they laughed, but I couldn't help but let my attention wander to the other tables. Everything seemed to be in their own category or rank in school. Our table was like a mix of people, totally unique from everyone else.

I couldn't help but stare at something that caught my eye. I saw Jace sitting on the opposite side of the lunch area with a random brunette girl sitting on his lap. Sudden anger and jealousy boiled deep inside of me and I struggled to refrain from marching over there and slapping that girl off of him. Instead, I made an excuse to the group that I had to leave.

"Uhh, I forgot, I need to help a teacher with some tutoring sign ups. See you guys later," I said. Seb gave me worried eyes and I shot him a reassuring smile. I gathered my bag and threw away my lunch. I made my way out of the cafeteria, making sure that I had my back turned to Jace. Let's see, I have thirty minutes of lunch break left, and there was a café five minutes away, so I'll just sneak out and walk over there to clear my head.

I walked in the small café and went to the cashier. "Hi, what would you like today- Clary?" I noticed a certain dark skinned brunette behind the counter.

"Maia? Oh my gosh, hey!" we hugged each other over the counter for a while until we both pulled away. "I never knew you worked here."

"Yeah, I just started about a week ago. So, how's your first day of school?" she asked.

"Remember that guy I met at the club last time, Sebastian?" she nodded brightly. "Well, he goes to my school and it's like we've known each other forever!"

"Do you like him? Are you gonna ask him out?" she said suddenly. I grimaced at her and raised my eyebrows. Yes, I got that down.

"Of course not! I don't have _those_ kind of feelings for him. But it's like we've been best friends forever. Anyways, there's this other guy…" I looked at the floor not knowing what I should have said.

"OHMYGOSH! My little Clary's growing up," she said proudly. "You have to tell me all the details. Hold on, what do you want first?" I looked up at the menu and immediately found what I wanted.

"A blueberry muffin and tea, please," she nodded and got me my order.

"JOHN! I'm taking my break now!" she yelled to the back of the café. I heard a muffled 'okay' and Maia hurried to take off her apron and uniform. She took the seat opposite of me and leaned over with her elbows to prop her up.

"Okay, now talk about this boy. Is he cute?" she asked. I thought hard at first and then sighed.

"He is far from cute. He is… the _epitome _of hotness," I said. Maia's eyes bulged out of her head and her jaw dropped a couple of inches.

"Clarissa Fray, when you say something like that, it's legit. Spill, girl!" I told her about how I met him and what happened when I slept over at his house. I left out the part about the dream I had, I still couldn't figure that out.

"He's so amazing, so charismatic, so… not for me. What's a guy like him gonna want from a girl like me? Today I saw him with a bunch of Barbie dolls practically shoving their tata's at him. I just left during lunch and ended up here," I said. I rubbed my temples and exhaled after my story. I looked back at Maia, who was rubbing her chin with her index finger and thumb.

"If he doesn't recognize you through that crowd of girls, then you could obviously get someone better. If you really want this guy, I would try to befriend him first. Remember Clary, baby steps. Don't rush into relationships before starting the actual friendship. If _that_ doesn't work, you could stick with plan B." she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"And what is this plan B?" I asked slowly and cautiously.

"_Make him jealous," _my eyes widened and I gasped involuntarily. "I would suggest using a guy that knows you're using him and doesn't mind teasing him. How about that Seb guy? You can really show him what he's missing with that hunky piece of man meat," I thought about it for a moment. Would I really go that low for Jace? I don't want to cause anything bad to happen. Maybe I'll just stick to befriending him first. That shouldn't be too bad.

"Okay, I'll try that out. Becoming his friend first, of course. Thanks for the advice, I really needed it," I smiled at her and stood up with my belongings.

"No problem, anytime. Call me whenever and I'll always be here," she said with a big grin. I waved goodbye to her and left the little café. I arrived at school just in time and exchanged my things at my locker. I took out my art supplies and headed toward the visual arts classroom. I had learned that all of the special art classes were held in the tall building in the center. Everything including visual arts, fashion, theater, music, and dancing rooms were all in that big building. The building was specially constructed so that all of those classes were able to get their own floor and make the learning areas compatible with each other. The only exception was the auditorium, where the theatre students practiced or performed on the stage.

The visual arts classroom, or shall I call _floor_, was on the top floor. They said that it was there so that the students were given a good view of the surroundings from the windows, which were tall and huge and covered three fourths of the wall. When I got to the room, I was truly amazed. I was so excited to start painting here. I took a seat near the transparent window wall and waited for the bell to ring. The teacher walked in and started class.

"Good afternoon, class. My name is Mrs. Lynn. I'm glad to have a new class filled with talented students. By the end of the year, you will be expected to present me with a portfolio filled with art projects that you will be working on. If you are new to this school, then let me inform you on the showcase night that the school holds at winter and another one at the end of the year. They gather all the students and make them present artwork or perform according to the type of art category they're in," she explained all of the projects that we will be doing for the year and gave us a quick preview of the supplies we are given.

Finally, the bell rang and we were dismissed from class. I met up with everyone at the parking lot and we jumped into the car. We chatted about the events of our first day on the way home. My eyes kept wandering to Jace and thinking about the talk I had with Maia. Getting a guy to fall for you wasn't that hard, was it? Later that night, I thought of the first steps to my plan which was to get close with Jace. Boy, this was going to be far more complicated than I expected.

* * *

**H-hey, guys! Overdue chapter, I know. Please don't be mad at me. I know this is a small chapter, but I'm trying to condense things and make them less tedious. It makes it way easier for me to just get straight to the point instead of writing about every single thing that Clary does. Thanks to all the followers, favoriters, and reviewers! All the support just makes my day :) Hope you like it!**

**Comments, questions, and suggestions are deeply appreciated! If there's an idea you would like me to add to the storyline, I would be glad to include it if it fits. Until next time, my lovelies …**


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, class. I will be assigning a big project for this semester where you will each co-write a story with a partner. Together you will create a plot with a twist. It can be any genre, like action, adventure, horror, or romance," he said rolling his r's. "This project will be worth fifty percent of your grade and it will be due by the end of the semester. Pick your partners carefully while I pass out the info paper."

This was perfect for getting closer to Jace. Clary stood up from my seat and began walking towards his. She began to have nervous jitters and her palms started to sweat. Why was she acting like this? It was just asking him if he wanted to work on an important semester project. No big deal, right? She reached out her hand to tap him on the shoulder, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey Jace, wanna be project partners?" a girl asked. She looked Asian with her almond shaped eyes and pin-straight black hair. Clary's hopes went swirling down the toilet.

"Uh, sure. Why not," Jace said. _Damnit,_ Clary thought. She walked back to her seat and watched as other people started pairing up. Sebastian came up to her with a brilliant smile on his face.

"Clary, let's be project partners," he said to her. She looked around the room, but there wasn't anyone else she really knew.

She shrugged and said, "Sure, I'd love to. But," she raised one finger in the air, "we're sharing the work evenly." He nodded eagerly and they quickly shook hands.

"Do you want to meet up after school to storm up some ideas?" Seb asked.

"Yeah, you can come over to my house and we can think of some stuff for the story," she said. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. _Note to self,_ she thought, _choose partners quicker._

* * *

"Guys! Guys, guess what?" Izzy came racing to the lunch table. Everyone had already settled in and started eating.

"Did scientists find out how to breed unicorns that poop out rainbows?" Sebastian guessed. Everyone laughed, except for Izzy who just rolled her eyes.

"No, but I'll be sure to inform you when that happens. Anyways, I get to plan the school's first dance!" she squealed. She jumped up and down and then began to trap Clary in a steel tight hug. Clary patted her arm but still struggled to breathe.

Once she was released, she said, "That's great. What's the theme of the dance gonna be?"

"I'm not completely sure yet, but I was thinking of making it a 'colored' dance. Everyone dresses up in an outfit of any color except for black and white, but the whole background of the dance will be pure white. I say it's a pretty good plan so far," Izzy said. A colored dance is like an artist's dream. Like a gigantic canvas splattered with different colors and textures.

"That sounds fabulous! Isabelle, you are brilliant," Magnus said. He clapped his hands together and grinned mischievously. "I think we need to use our little red head Barbie doll here." Clary's eyes and widened and was just about to object.

"Fantastic idea, Magnus! We have a lot of planning to do," Izzy saw Clary's horrified expression and started to laugh. "Don't worry, Clary. The dance isn't coming for a good amount of weeks. You still have your time of freedom." Izzy and Magnus exchanged glances and high fived each other.

"Simon, can't you say something about this?!" Clary asked worriedly. Simon put his hands up in defense.

"No, no, no. Leave me peacefully apart from this," he said.

"Oh, don't worry, Simon! We'll share our fashion with you, too. I cannot let my boyfriend attend the dance looking boring. I'll find something good for you to wear," Izzy winked at him. Simon and Clary both sighed in defeat. It was pretty much impossible to win an argument with Izzy.

* * *

"What do you want it to be about?" Sebastian asked. He was tapping a pencil on Clary's desk with a blank paper sitting in front of him.

"I don't know," Clary responded. She was lying down on her bed and playing with a piece of her ruby colored hair.

"What genre do you want to start with?" he questioned.

"I don't know," she answered blandly. He sighed and started thinking.

"Clare, what's up?" he turned around and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Nothing," she turned her body so that it was facing the wall and her back was to Seb.

"C'mon, you can talk to me," he sat down on the edge of the bed and started to braid her hair.

"Don't worry about it, it's just girl problems," she said. He suddenly stopped and choked involuntarily. She checked on him and said, "Oh god, Seb, I didn't mean _those _problems! Never mind, just go back to the pen and paper, I got an idea." He went back to the desk and waited for her to start talking.

"So, there's this girl named… Casey, who had a dream about a random guy. No, more of an angel. One day, she met him while she was working in her little café. His name was Jack, and he happened to be one of her friend's brother. He's popular, kind, and handsome. They've been friends for a while, but Casey wanted to be more than that. Then, this girl named Kathy comes along and steals him away from her. Turns out she's a devil witch who puts a spell on Jack to make him 'like' her and then she kidnaps him and hides him in her hideout. And then, Casey and her friend, Sam, go out to save him-" Seb cut of Clary from her rambles.

"Clary, does that story have something to do with, your problem?" he asked cautiously. There was a moment of silence where they were both just staring at each other.

"Yes…" she said quietly. She sat up and hugged her knees. "Ugh, well, of course not all of it. But, yes, most of it." Seb continued to stare at her as if he was trying to figure something out. "What do I do?"

"I don't know. Do I look like eHarmony to you?" he asked. She laughed and shook her head.

"Well…" he scowled at her, "just kidding! So umm, do you think you could help me? W-with Jace," she looked at the ground. She heard Seb sigh and then there was a small pause.

"As a friend, I don't think Jace is the kind of guy that you should go for if you want a real relationship. He's the take-it leave-it type of guy. Are you still sure about this?" she nodded slowly, almost rethinking everything. What if he didn't want a serious relationship with her? Was this all pointless? "Okay, then first, you gotta get close to him somehow. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, there was this project that was assigned during art where we have to draw to pictures of a model with two different emotions. But I don't think I should ask him…" Clary rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yes! You totally should totally ask him about that. That's the perfect excuse," she looked up at Seb and found that he was serious.

"I don't think that's a really good idea. I don't think I can even ask him. What if-"

"Don't think about the what if's. You can only find out if you try it," Clary shook her head to attempt to clear her mind. "Or you could always use the jealousy trick." Seb said with an evil smile. "I don't mind being used once and a while." She giggled and slapped his arm.

"I'll keep that in mind. Right now, we focus on the story. I'll finish writing down my ideas," Clary sat on the writing chair and began jotting down the main ideas of her story. Seb took her spot on her bed and stared at the ceiling. He spotted something light up next to his head and noticed that it was Clary's phone. He couldn't help but read the message. He checked if Clary was watching, which she wasn't, and took her phone.

The message was from Jace. _Hey :) What's up?_

_Just working on a project. Hey, do you want to model for me?_ Seb couldn't stop the silent chuckle that left his lips.

"What's so funny?" Clary turned around as he hid her phone between his hands.

"Nothing, just thinking," she raised her eyebrow at him and went back to work. There was a new message from Jace.

_Uhh, why not :) what for?_

_It's for an art project. I have to draw you. Do you think we can meet up tomorrow?_

_Sure. I'll see you then_

* * *

**Sorry for the wicked long update with the super short chapter. I have a plan for the chapters and I think this was the best cutoff for the chapter. Again, SORRY! School kills the crap out of my writing motivation. I always have something to do and today, I just felt like I owed you guys something. I worked on this all day but there's only 1000 words *cue facepalm* There was a marathon of Awkward and I just had to watch and write. So amazing D: I'm already obsessed with this show! It's so hilarious but at the same time, extremely depressing. It was an interesting combination. I apologize greatly! Suimasen! **

**Thanks to everyone who has supported the story! You guys are amazing, and I have failed you with this lame chappie ): It's not really good and I'm not even sure if I wrote exactly what I wanted. Gosh, what am I writing? The commercials just ended. Marathon is still continuing! SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES!**


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